North Carolina whitewater, Elk Creek Wilkes county, Route 1162 to Route 268 Bridge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS I-II     8.4 miles   The put-in location is a short drive from Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. This section of Elk Creek in Wilkes County is 8.4 miles long and it is classified as a class I-II section by American Whitewater. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. The Blue Ridge Mountains     scenery is wonderful. Great exercise and just hanging out with mother nature are great reasons to come. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in this state tend to be more forgiving than the national average, so better not forget that rivers in this state are not as hard as elsewhere. On this section you do get some distance, suitable for an afternoon trip. The nature scenery of Wilkes County and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream beats anything. There are some good sections to paddle in this river system, the Route 1162 to Route 268 Bridge section is one of them. There's camping available near Elk Creek. Whether you're whitewater rafting   or kayaking in this general area you'll find lots of paddling rivers. Briefly about the general area: Here at Elk Creek there are plenty of folks from Ferguson. Summertime brings highs in the 70's to Elk Creek, and during the night it cools down to the 50's. For the period of the winter highs are typically in the 30's with temperatures at Elk Creek dipping down into the 20's during winter nights. The high level of rainfall makes Elk Creek a quite wet site. May is the month that gets the most rain, and December is the month with the least moisture. Elk Creek, Route 1162 to Route 268 Bridge road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.     Map Detailed Map Stats Stats for this river stretch Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Elk Creek.   Whitewater Near Elk Creek: Elk Creek, Wilkes County, 4 miles away       Class I-II - 8.4 miles long (Route 1162 to Route 268 Bridge) Yadkin River, Caldwell/Wilkes County, 6 miles away       Class I-II - 19.9 miles long (Route 268 Bridge to Route 1137) Reddies River, Wilkes County, 15 miles away       Class I-II - 10 miles long (Route 1546 to North Wilkesboro) Whitewater Outfitter - Wahoo's Whitewater Rafting, Watauga County, 15 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Yadkin River, Wilkes County, 16 miles away       Class I-II - 15 miles long (Route 1178 below West Kerr Scott Dam to Route 2327) Whitewater Outfitter - High Mountain Expeditions, Watauga County, 17 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Thunderhole Creek, Caldwell County, 17 miles away       Class III+ - 3.5 miles long (Globe Road to Upton) Whitewater Outfitter - River & Earth Adventures, Watauga County, 17 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Boone Fork, Watauga County, 19 miles away       Class III-IV(V+) - 4.5 miles long (Julian Price Park to Watauga) Watauga River, Watauga County, 21 miles away       Class II-IV - 2 miles long (SR 1557 to North Carolina 105)   Ski Areas Near Elk Creek: Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 15 miles away, 365 foot drop, 5 lifts, 9 runs Hawksnest, North Carolina , 26 miles away, 619 foot drop, 4 lifts, 12 runs Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 28 miles away, 1200 foot drop, 8 lifts, 20 runs Ski Beech, North Carolina , 30 miles away, 830 foot drop, 10 lifts, 15 runs Wolf Ridge, North Carolina , 74 miles away, 700 foot drop, 5 lifts, 20 runs Winterplace, West Virginia , 87 miles away, 603 foot drop, 9 lifts, 27 runs   Marinas Near Elk Creek: Wilkes Skyline Marina, Wilkesboro , 15 miles away R & N Marina, Hickory , 18 miles away Lake Hickory Marina, Hickory , 19 miles away   Hotels Near Elk Creek: Comfort Inn Lenoir, Lenoir , 11 miles away Days Inn Lenoir, Lenoir , 11 miles away Red Carpet Inn Lenoir, Lenoir , 11 miles away Green Park Inn Historic Hotels Of America, Blowing Rock , 15 miles away Fairfield Inn & Suites Boone, Boone , 15 miles away   Campgrounds Near Elk Creek: Rider's Roost, Ferguson, 4 miles away Green Mountain Park Resort, Lenoir, 9 miles away Hitchin Post RV Park, Deep Gap, 9 miles away   Public Lands Near Elk Creek: Mount Jefferson State Park, North Carolina , 18 miles away New River State Park, North Carolina , 18 miles away Grayson Highlands State Park, Virginia , 30 miles away   Golf Courses Near Elk Creek: Cedar Rock Country Club, Lenoir , 8 miles away Lenoir Golf Club, Lenoir , 12 miles away Boone Golf Club, Boone , 15 miles away   Lakes Near Elk Creek Trout Lake, Watauga , 6 miles away Fleetwood Falls Lake, Ashe , 13 miles away W Kerr Scott Reservoir, Wilkes , 16 miles away